BAKING BEAUTIES TAG

Evening sweets!

The wonderful Nicole Baxter from coleoftheballl33.blogspot.co.uk tagged me in this relatively new baking beauties tag - so excited to be doing this I adore baking and creating things.

So here it is:

1. What is the first thing you remember baking?

My first cook book was the Winnie the Pooh and Friends cook book and I made Eeyore's cheese straws! Nanny and Grandad were looking after my sister and I for the weekend while my parents went away and we made these for their return - along with some stuffed and scented coat hangers!

2. What was the last thing you baked?

My soaked lemon cake and chocolate ganache filled cupcakes for my step-dad's retirement party. 

3. Something you've always wanted to bake?

Ooh thats a tricky one there are so many! I would say the major one is a Christmas cake - I don't actually like many Christmas cakes myself but a lot of my family do so I'd love to make a really yummy one!

4. Tell us about something you baked and it went terribly wrong

This is easy! I really fancied making some cookies one night - envisioned biting into a gooey super chocolatey cookie so found a recipe online, chopped up LOADS of chocolate (milk, white and dark, I was really going for it!) and followed the instructions. Watched them bake and when I took them out of the oven I almost danced with glee I was so excited to eat these - as you can imagine once you have built something up this much they were a major let down. They went rock solid once cooled, couldn't even break them by throwing them on the floor! They smelt like gone off eggs and tasted like stale popcorn! Threw them in the bin!

5. Be honest, do you lick the spoon?

Definitely not, I've never understood the appeal! I eat the chocolate while cooking though =)

6. How often do you bake?

Depends how much time I have but as often as possible maybe once a week. Also depends on if I've got any cakes on order. I'd really like to bake more, I have so many fantastic cake tins, cookie cutters and piping bag tips and ideas but its difficult when not in your own kitchen.

7. What baking success are you most proud of?

Hmm that's also a tricky one as recently I've made some pretty cool (if I do say so myself!) cakes, I really try to experiment with different ideas. If I had to choose it would probably be this one: 

I think the home made honeycomb and the little bees really make the cake.

8. Do you tidy up as you go along or leave a big mess until the end?

While baking I tidy up as I go along but while decorating I leave a mess until the end, don't want to ruin the creative flow. Paha!!

9. Do you use recipe books or get them online?

Nearly always use recipe books, I have a few that I stick to like glue, they have never failed me.

10. Do you stick to the recipe or experiment a little?

Always like to experiment I find it more fun - unless like I said before I have a cake on order then I stick to my classic recipes, don't want to disappoint after all that hard work.

11. Who are your favourite food bloggers?

http://www.whatrachelate.com/ - she hasn't posted in a while but love looking back at all her yummy eats! And http://eatlikeagirl.com/ great mix of food and travel.

12. What is your favourite thing to bake?

I love trying new things but probably my favourite things are biscuits - simple, so many variations, different ways to decorate and can eat straight from the oven =)

I hope you all enjoyed the read, now I tag:

Tamsyn Elizabeth at http://peachpowxo.blogspot.co.uk

Sam from http://www.honeygo-lightly.com/

and Krystina at http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.co.uk/

Looking forward to reading all your answers xx

MY CAKE CREATIONS

This is the first cake I made using fondant icing, slight mistake with the colour of the butter icing on the top of the bow. Should have coloured the butter icing to match with the bow but nevermind - a lesson not to be forgotten!

This was my second cake creation - a soaked lemon cake decorated as a bee hive with chocolate cupcakes, fondant icing bees and home made honeycomb. I got the idea of this cake from The Great British Bake off Red Nose Special and because my Dad is a sucker for honeycomb!

My third cake two tiered Minnie Mouse cake for a 16th Birthday party. Went down a treat =) Bottom level was a simple vanilla sponge and the top layer was devils chocolate cake (the secret is to use melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder, makes the cake much lighter and moist).

Here was my biggest cake to date - a four tiered engagement cake, each tier was in the shape of a hear and I made icing roses cascading down the front. Alternated the layers between vanilla sponge and chocolate cake. Took about 10 hours but was so worth it =)

This was a three tiered heart shaped cake with chocolate butter cream roses and edible pearls for a wedding anniversary. Such a simple technique but adds so much to the appearance of the cake.

A two tiered vanilla sponge for a lovely lady's 100th Birthday! Very simple construction with blue centre daisy's. 

One of my favourites - my step sisters favourite animal is an octopus so what better way to decorate a cake!

I really enjoy baking and recently decorating cakes into all types of spectacular creations! Do any of you bake? Have you tried working with fondant icing? Would love to see some photos!